Valerie Gonzalez

@AP journalist covering immigration and border issues from the Rio Grande Valley • formerly @monitornews • [email protected] • DMs open • Signal: ValGonzalez.03

[Colleen DeGuzman @acolleendg]

But a desal plant won't help the city through its immediate emergency: water demand is expected to surpass supply by summer 2027.

Only lots of rain - lots of it - can keep Corpus from becoming the first U.S. city to run short of water.

https://t.co/OnnU2p7l3r

[The Brownsville Herald @BrownsvilleNews]

Recently detained DACA recipient joins California senator for immigration discussion | #RGV

https://t.co/4UMkKh80E0

[Valley Morning Star @valleystar]

Harlingen construction boom slowing pace amid ICE raids | #RGV

https://t.co/gR4dQ7R7Xs

[The Monitor @monitornews]

Arrests under Texas’ controversial SB4 law begin in Rio Grande Valley | #RGV

https://t.co/wZB5hiO763

[Valerie Gonzalez @ValOnTheBorder]

Voting line in McAllen at Lark Community Center at 6:40 pm is pretty long as we head into 7 pm. 👀🗳️

[Valerie Gonzalez @ValOnTheBorder]

Thoroughly fun read.

A group of second and third graders in McAlllen ISD listened to evidence against the “Big Bad Wolf” and delivered a surprising acquittal.

Via @MyRGVNews

https://t.co/Z3YgQIttyS

[Valerie Gonzalez @ValOnTheBorder]

Detained DACA recipient with valid status through June 2027 set to be released today from ICE custody, according to @immigrattorney.

✍️ story by @ocnarfjimenez

[The Monitor @monitornews]

Valley DACA recipient to be released from ICE custody, attorney says | #RGV

https://t.co/UIGuqbIZId

[lomikriel @lomikriel]

No end to the praise for @godovasquez by anyone who worked with him: Kind, generous, amazingly talented, detailed to a fault.

That the @AP laid him off will never make sense.

Please donate to his cause & photo editors, you have a GREAT ONE

PLIS donate: https://t.co/nNF17S3YC3

[Juan Lozano @juanlozano70]

After nearly 27 years as a reporter for the Associated Press, my time with the company has abruptly come to an end. I was part of a group of AP employees around the country who were laid off today. I was hoping I could survive layoffs after buyouts but it was not to be. (1/ 7)

[AP News Guild @APNewsGuild]

1/3
On May 15, Associated Press leadership cut 20 guild covered staff. Layoffs included U.S. news, photographers, investigations, business and sports across 12 states.

[Valerie Gonzalez @ValOnTheBorder]

@ocnarfjimenez Thank you for sharing it ☺️

[Valerie Gonzalez @ValOnTheBorder]

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, which advocates for low-income families, estimates 79,600 people could be forced to leave their homes, with a disproportionate impact on children and Latinos.

HUD collected public comments. If finalized, legal challenges are expected.

[Valerie Gonzalez @ValOnTheBorder]

NEW: Port Isabel Housing Authority bungled a message to residents in Feb. indicating a proposed rule ending housing assistance to mixed-status families was taking effect.

What happened next offers a glimpse of the impact rule would have if it takes hold.
https://t.co/JwTPfS92FX

[Valerie Gonzalez @ValOnTheBorder]

PIHA asked residents for two things HUD does not yet require:

-citizenship documentation only
-docs from assistance-ineligible residents

A follow-up letter tried walking it back, but it was too late.

PIHA occupancy rate plummeted from 91% to 43%. The national avg. is 94%.

[Alex Nguyễn @alexnguyen2311]

Lots of news happened in TX public safety today @texastribune: Key parts of a TX law that allows state & local police to arrest people suspected of having crossed the southern border illegally is halted, 1 day before it was set to take effect. https://t.co/JSoKgnkzCD

[Dylan Baddour @DylanBaddour]

Midland Mayor: 6M barrels/day of Permian oil production comes with 32M barrels of wastewater

That's 1.3 BILLION GALLONS PER DAY of wastewater

(Context: the Coastal Bend region of Texas consumes up to 120M gal/day)

“We truly have water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink”

[The Associated Press @AP]

U.S. Border Patrol chief Michael Banks is resigning in the latest leadership shake-up of officials implementing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. https://t.co/lv0Hp3pQj1

[katya schwenk @ktyschwnk]

After an obscure defense vendor won a $12 million no-bid contract w/ ICE, I noticed something odd on its website: The firm was using a (still watermarked!) stock photo for the chief of its “development team.”

Things only got more bizarre from there…

[Colleen DeGuzman @acolleendg]

This is the first time this state fund has ever, in its 11-year history, had to turn away applications for water projects.

[Taylor Goldenstein @taygoldenstein]

My first piece for @TexasTribune: Texas Republicans have a data center problem

They’re caught between a zealous president and governor bent on Texas becoming the next global data center hub, and outraged constituents in red and rural districts, where most ctrs are being proposed